Out of Norm Travels

I found a quaint strawberry farm called " Napahupa " or Nop Phu Pha meaning Sky & Mountain which is  just 1 hour's drive from Chiang Mai city area.  Tip: must remember not to have a full stomach before heading there as the road trip up is full of twists & turns.  It is surrounded by a beautiful mountain range. As my family was there during the winter season in December, strawberries were ripe for the picking.  I sat in a little cafe with lovely strawberry drinks and desserts and seating that was strategically placed facing the farm area. After my little refreshment, I (my kids couldn't resist the machines) took a ride around using the off-road vehicles before ending the excursion at the nearby orange farm . I saw some tents/ huts that can be rented for an overnight rustic stay.  An overall lovely trip outside of usual city life .  

I have visited this lovely  Aw Taw Kaw  market  many many times (almost whenever I am in Bangkok).  What's the charm of this place? Well, it's relatively clean (the wet market section is separated from the cooked food section of the market) and it's a place that the locals visit (great for people watching & photography).  The colors, smells and huge variety of cooked food (appealed to the foodie in me).  I have introduced some of the usual "snacks" that I usually get for my "breakfast" at this market.  Till the next time, onto the world & beyond!!

  Talad Rot Fai:   A lovely quaint market only open on Saturdays and Sundays ooze VW-loads of vintage wares. You can find ‘oldies but goodies’ inspired toys, clothes, memorabilia, furniture in this market that occupies around 2 football fields in an area which is fenced by train tracks and train coaches.  As in all markets, there are many food stalls that allow you to rest your tired legs or if you wish, eat skewered meats or slurping that ice-cream off coconut husks whilst walking along the make-shift stalls. Whether you are only interested in browsing or people-watching, this is definitely a good place to spend some time on a cool weekend evening.  

What can an urban city like Kuala Lumpur offer for jaded travellers?  How about some enlightening (Batu caves) and architecture (Moorish no less) before ending on a high note (KLCC Twin Towers) ? Group enlightening @  Bat u caves Moorish architecture  @ KTM Headquarters KLCC Twin Towers @ Sunset  Till the next time, onto the world & beyond!!

Like most travelers, a trip out of home country means taking an air plane out of the country. In the not so distant past, many travel out of their country using the only means of affordable transport i.e. train. I am not old enough to say that I did that but I was glad I managed to catch one of the last few trains that departed from our grand ol dame, Tanjong Pagar Railway Station back in June 2011. The feeling of nostalgia was what spurred on me taking the journey up north from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was surreal that I was still in my country yet the land the station stood on was actually Malaysian land. In a typical Singaporean way, I facebooked my location & wondered if I should state Singapore or Malaysia as place of origin? Anyway, this dilemma soon ended on 30 June 2011 when the land on which the train station stood was closed to the public with the land returned to Singapore. It was thus unfortunate that my kids will not be able to experience such ...